Rethink Rockmart working on plans for city’s sesquicentennial
The City of Rockmart is soon to reach its sesquicentennial, and members of the Rethink Rockmart team are looking to celebrate the last 150 years in big ways.
While not entirely set in stone yet, the group did meet earlier in January to discuss some of the events that would start around 2022.
The exact anniversary date is August 26, 2022, but there are plans to host activities throughout the entire year. Led by Cathy Matthews and her team of volunteers, the events would be fun, educational experiences that offer the chance to both celebrate and learn about the history of Rockmart.
The Goodyear Village Centennial
2029 project, chaired by Donny McBryde, also saw discussion during the meeting. Rethink members are currently exploring ideas and grant opportunities that would assist in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the neighborhood.
Planning for the Goodyear Centennial has been one of the most recurring items on Rethink agendas, so the group genuinely hopes to make the celebration something special. A Facebook page, Friends of Goodyear Village – Rockmart, was also recently established for those interested in sharing photos of the area.
Planning for the sesquicentennial has been the catalyst for most of Rethink’s immediate activities and projects, but the group is staying true to their goal of combating blight and improving local housing.
Rockmart Code Enforcement Officer Bryan Richardson was at the meeting to offer a review of his time working with residents to clean property and remove inoperable vehicles. Richardson was hired last year thanks in part to the efforts of Rethink Rockmart, and the city’s various building, property, and land codes have been enforced to a much higher degree since.
Rethink members are also known to get out and directly improve the area with their neighborhood clean up days. Members and volunteers will walk through various neighborhoods and pick up any trash they find, place signs, and generally encourage cleanliness.
The next neighborhood cleanup day will be scheduled in April, and residents will be asked to participate in sprucing up their neighborhoods. Those interested in joining or finding about other Rethink events can find more information by visiting Rethink Rockmart.
In addition, a Neighborhood Yard of the Month promotion will begin in May. Librarian Karen Thompson is forming a Garden Club through the
Rockmart Library and will lead the project.
Rockmart Police Chief Randy Turner also attended the meeting to discuss the Community Policing Program. He’s currently providing his officers with all necessary training they need for building relationships with citizens and operating the program successfully. If all works out, Rockmart is looking at much safer streets.
Before the meeting adjourned, business owners Richard and Rebecca Abrams introduced their plan to submit a video for the HGTV show. There’s an opportunity for the Hometown show to come to Rockmart to provide technical assistance and support in revitalizing buildings and homes, and some of the members participated in a section of the video and expressed appreciation for the Abram’s taking time to produce and submit the video.